Cafe Zaffri

Zaffri has the most beautiful interior and food in the area! The entry is a bit difficult to find but a gorgeous vestibule greets you when you walk in. They seated us at the lounge as we waited for our party. The lounge area was gorgeous. The drinks, food and the atmosphere were amazing but the portions and the menu were extremely confusing. We weren’t clear how big each dish was. Everything tasted wonderful though. We ordered the fish, chicken, fries, rice and some appetizers. For me, the atmosphere was what mostly made it.

Located on East 16th Street, one can hardly imagine the luxurious interior. With a skylight and comfortable armchair seating, Cafe Zaffri’s dining area is a serene oasis. This Lebanese restaurant has an interesting selection for breakfast and so I decided to come here. I chose the Zaffri’s Lebanese breakfast of two eggs, pork battata harra and market greens. Two perfectly made poached eggs nestled on a plate with the diced potatoes and pork belly that glistened and a green salad which had endives with it’s nutty flavor and is a favorite. I took my time to relish each bite savoring the peaceful atmosphere here. To begin, I had ordered the pistachio hand pie but when it was set before me I realized that it was not the traditional hand pie I had envisioned. Pistachios were encased in a thick phyllo dough and one bite made me realize how honeyed it was. “Lebanese Hand Pie” would have been a more appropriate name as then one wouldn’t confuse it. Fresh mint tea was made with fresh mint leaves and hot water poured into the teapot. It was pale and insipid. I thought longingly of the robust mint tea at the Arabian Tea House in Dubai which would have brought more joy to this breakfast. Service was hushed and unobtrusive l. Madeleine, Woody and Sashank looked after me admirably. The quiet busboy was both professional and gracious. Restrooms are down a circular staircase where the handrails are covered in fabric. After all this restaurant is in the Twenty Two Hotel and stunning.

Cafe Zaffri may not scream for attention from the outside, but step through its doors and you're met with a calm confidence, a space that knows exactly what it’s doing. And what it’s doing is exceptional. Let’s talk about the martini, Saifi Square. This was, without exaggeration, one of the best we’ve ever had. Ice-cold, crystal clear, and expertly balanced, it walked the line between strength and finesse with absolute poise. No unnecessary garnishes, no gimmicks, just a beautifully executed classic that reminded me why the martini endures. To start, we had the beet salad, which was as thoughtful as it was flavorful. Roasted beets, tender and earthy, paired beautifully with horseradish and the crunch of pistachios and cocoa nibs. A bright buttermilk vinaigrette pulled everything together without overpowering. Simple, seasonal, and perfectly composed. Fried Syrian cheese with a preserved lemon dipping sauce? Absolutely delicious. Then came the spicy fried eggplant, unexpected and completely addictive. A whole eggplant “paillard” style was fried to golden crispness, seasoned with a black sesame and garlic purée that brought real depth without being overly aggressive. The heat built slowly, balanced by the eggplant’s natural sweetness and the satisfying texture of each bite. Service at Cafe Zaffri was attentive but unintrusive, and the atmosphere struck a sweet spot: cozy yet refined, with a low hum of conversation. Final Take: Cafe Zaffri isn’t just another neighborhood spot - it’s a place worth seeking out. Whether you're chasing the perfect martini or craving food with bold, clean flavors, this place delivers. Don’t miss the eggplant. Seriously.

Stunning restaurant, lovely staff, great service and delicious cocktails. Food was okay. Some dishes came out a bit cold. Apps were very tasty. Chicken was juicy and soft but pretty flavorless. Mackerel Was so fishy, over cooked. Wouldn’t return for dinner but great spot for cocktails!

Delicious!!! Got the Lamb Wellington, eggplant, dumplings, and fries — I recommend them all. Wonderful service and atmosphere. It’s the perfect place for a date night, dinner with friends, or dinner with family. Beautiful design everywhere and the food was truly delicious. Only surprise was our gin martinis were $34 each when the martini on the menu was $26, which caught us off guard at the end but wasn’t worth asking about. Overall would love to go back!

Food: The team at Michelin star Musket Room and NYC favorite Raf's have curated an approachable yet distinct menu with something for everyone. Highlights: the breads and spreads, chicken liver mousse, mushrooms, and fried eggplant to start, followed by the half chicken, lamb wellington, and skewer service (I'm partial to the octopus, fish, and steak) Service: We weren't rushed through dinner but were never waiting long for our next course. The staff across the board was warm and helpful, truly making the overall experience all the more enjoyable. The cocktail and wine recommendations were excellent and paired beautifully with the Levantine cuisine. Atmosphere: 10/10. The open space with designated areas for cocktails and wine to enjoy prior to dining followed by a grand room with a skylighted ceiling, the main dining area is warm and sensual, not too loud but with the consistent hum and laughs of happy diners.

Friends and I had both had Cafe Zaffri on our “want to go” list. The space is beautiful - a large atrium with loungey type seating. Everyone in the restaurant is very “sceney” - women dressed in mini skirts and an air of stuffiness, and a “who’s who” feeling. This is fine if you’re going for this, but as my group was in jeans and a tshirt w / a leather jacket, we felt slightly out of place. Every menu we received throughout the night had a “no flash photography” warning written on it. The server was kind and gave us the menu run down. However, he was a bit sneaky with some expensive additions - for example my husband had two Tito’s vodka martinis, and then ordered an espresso martini and the server said under his breath “grey goose vodka? Ok” — just felt like we were already spending so much money with them, why twist the knife? The drinks took a while to deliver. We split the breads and spread (comes with 3 measly pieces of bread), fried jibneh, shish barak, cavatelli and lamb Wellington. The Wellington was the best thing we ate. Everything else was fine - nothing to write home about. Dessert was where I was most let down - the sweets for two - ice cream / sorbet lacked flavor - and I am a huge sweets person and always love ice cream. Didn’t do it for me. Cocktails were very good, but you pay the price - $26 for one drink. Recommend the night moves - which is a mezcal twist on an espresso martini. Be prepared to drop $400++ on a meal with 4 people - easily. Likely will not come back - not my vibe and overpriced food.

The interior design of Cafe Zaffri is absolutely stunning, but unfortunately, the cuisine doesn't quite hit the mark. It could use a bit more flavor.If you have budgetary concerns, you’re in the wrong place.

If you enjoy a posh Beirut aesthetic and are looking for a serviceable weekday work lunch option in central Manhattan, you'll find Cafe Zaffri to be a welcome addition. Despite the large sunlight the interior is a bit stodgy, or elegantly dated I suppose. The food was quite good. The toum was excellent, with a lightness I haven't found in other renditions. The fries are beautiful and taste superb, and the unique cabbage kebab has excellent texturing that really makes the vegetable sing. It's a bit pricey for the portion size. I couldn't help but compare the "skewer service" to Shuka's similar option, and a bit less stinginess when it comes to the rice and dips would make this feel like more of a luxurious deal rather than just an overpriced entree.

Dry toast, inattentive service, extremely dry croissant (how is that even possible unless it was made yesterday??), sausage was also dry (maybe dry is their thing?) uncomfortable seating. $65 all up for eggs, coffee, croissant, and half a sausage. On the positive side: coffee was smooth and the right temperature, eggs cooked perfectly.

Stunning. Simply breathtaking. Upon entering, you are instantly transported. From the main entrance to the coat check and bar, to the sun drenched dining room (and the beautiful back room), the decor is the very first thing that you'll notice upon entering. Their service is also something of note, in that it's just attentive enough. I'm actually surprised by the overall rating, because my meal was fantastic and I cannot wait to return for another meal. The food. THE FOOD. You must get the breads and spreads (it's spectacular), the wood ear mushroom app (solid), and I adored the lamb cavatelli. You also cannot skip dessert, I was blown away by their take on baklava and I really liked the knafeh cheesecake -- a lot lighter than your traditional cheesecake and simply divine. My ONLY gripe is the price point. Nothing here in inexpensive. However, between the ambiance, the food and the service that I had at dinner, I'll definitely be filing this under 'worth the splurge' for special occasion meals.

Beautiful restaurant and great service but the food was not good. Our server really hyped up the food. We ended up ordering everything he recommended and nothing we liked. The steak was bloody and lacked flavor. And the rest I can't even remember because it was just bland. Our check was almost $500. It was four of us and we only had one drink each. Maybe go for drinks and an instagram post but I don't recommend this place for dinner.

Don't go for brunch or lunch. Bad service in so many ways, good decor and ambiance and not good food. Shakshuka was very watery and not flavorful. Jerusalem bagel came cold and tasted old and bland. The skewers (beef and fish one) were just fine. It was very disappointing as Raf's is one of my favorite restaurants but they got a lot of things wrong here. The only saving grace is the ambience.

I absolutely love this place. So many great items but top on my list is the "Pistachio Hand Pie" it was delicious and perfectly flavorful! My server was amazing attentive, friendly, and made the experience even better. Highly recommend this spot!

The location and atrium is a total vibe. We snagged an early dinner reservation because that's all we could get - it was empty at first but filled up quickly! Drink menu is fun but a bit pricy. I thought the food was good but as a local, not good enough to visit regularly.

Located on East 16th Street, one can hardly imagine the luxurious interior. With a stunning skylight and comfortable armchair seating, Cafe Zaffri's dining area is a serene oasis. This Lebanese restaurant has an interesting selection for breakfast and so I decided to come here. I chose the Zaffri's Lebanese breakfast of two eggs, pork battata harra and market greens. Two perfectly made poached eggs nestled on a plate with the diced potatoes and pork belly that glistened and a green salad which had endives which I enjoy for the its peppery flavor. I took my time to relish each bite savoring the peaceful atmosphere here. To begin, I had ordered the pistachio hand pie but when it was set before me I realized that it was not the traditional hand pie I had envisioned. Pistachios were encased in a thick pastry of phyllo dough and one bite made me realize how honeyed it was. "Lebanese Hand Pie" would have been a more appropriate name as then one wouldn't confuse it. Fresh mint tea was made with fresh mint leaves and hot water poured into a teapot. It was pale and had little flavor. I thought longingly of the robust mint tea at the Arabian Tea House in Dubai which would have brought more joy to this mouthwatering breakfast. Service here is hushed and unobtrusive. Restrooms are downstairs and the hand rail was covered in fabric that felt like velvet. Madeleine, Woody and Sashank made my breakfast enjoyable. The quiet busboy was polite and gracious. I did eat the hand pie with hot Assam tea and relished each bite. I could have eaten a second one.

Cafe Zaffri is truly one of this foodies faves! The food is elevated to exquisite and NEVER DISAPPOINTS! . The skewer service, Qatayef and chilled red wine are personal favorites but every dish is perfectly conceived! The service is absolutely incredible from the moment you enter and see the shining star that is Sophia to every interaction with the diligent and knowledgeable staff. The ambience is perfection...luxe but intimate and cozy. I would gatekeep this one forever but it is just too good to be missed!!!

Absolutely loved this place! The food was flavorful, the atmosphere is cozy with a great vibe & the service was warm and welcoming. Glad to have found this hidden gem. Looking forward to coming back!

The vibe is great and the room is beautiful (remember to look at the art on the walls). The food is good and creative. Service was choppy and staff didn't seem to have it all together which I understand at a new place on a very busy Saturday evening.

I decided to try something different, and settled on this Lebonese restaurant. The experience was melodic. The food and the staff were amazing. I definitely will be making this location a staple in my choices of fine dining.

I'd call this a 3.5 as the food was decent and the space is beautiful. The Lamb Wellington is special and was my favorite dish, though I also enjoyed the cavatelli and chocolate dessert. The mushrooms and fried eggplant were fine, but a bit greasy and not memorable. The service is where this place fell apart. Tons of servers standing around doing nothing other than continually pouring water and wine into our glasses - we literally moved bottles to the middle of the table so they would stop. However, when we actually needed something (menus, our food to be delivered) no one was available.

A friend and I didn't know what to expect when we came but we're glad we did. We had really good food and drinks but what i would love to harp on is the service. The service was outstanding. My friend's order didn't come out correctly and i can't remember the manager's name, but she was a beautiful black woman, handled it with such care and not only corrected it but also made sure we were taken care of personally. I would definitely recommend this place again.

Absolutely phenomenal dinner experience at Zaf's - if I could give more than 5 stars, I would! From the moment we arrived, everything was flawless. The host was incredibly warm and welcoming, setting the tone for the night right at check-in. The service throughout was impeccable -- attentive without being intrusive, and every server and sommelier we interacted with was gracious, professional and attentive. The space itself is stunning -- we sat in a booth in the main dining room which is both elegant and modern with just the right lighting and vibe. It feels fun, adult, and effortlessly sexy -- the kind of place you want to linger in. And the food? Truly excellent. Every dish was beautifully presented, flavorful and perfectly executed. Oh, and don't miss out on the deserts (!). Can't wait to come back and taste my way through the rest of the menu and to check out brunch!

Could not recommend this place more! First of all, it's absolutely stunning. The seating is comfortable and spacious. The food and drinks were excellent. Honestly the best part was how incredible the staff were! From the host, to our servers, to the sommelier, they were all so welcoming and kind. Truly made our night so special. Will definitely be back!

Our party of 3 was made to wait for over an hour at a noisy two-top in the bar area for our reservation for a birthday dinner for one of our party in the back dining area, which we specifically requested. We did not want to sit in the Atrium which was noisy. When we were finally seated, there were numerous available tables that we were told were being held for 'Members' of this "Members-only' space. (We had no idea dinner reservations would be lower priority than "Members."--and even if that's the policy, why were about five suitable tables reserved for members while we waited for over an hour?) The staff were nice, but the management policy and the staff's apparent need to comply with this is unacceptable. An overall awful experience.

Major fan and guest of the London 22 Hotel here. Lunch at Cafe Zaffri NYC left me hungry and quietly infuriated. Their kabob entree consisted of 2 child-sized portions with even more micro-sized pickled vegetables for $45 USD. Espresso served at room temperature was terrible. Recommend the falafel cart on Madison Park. A great dining room and fine service doesn't make up for basics done badly

We went here on a Thursday night to celebrate the launch of my friends new business. Good atmosphere, wait staff was nice, solid wine selection but unfortunately we were targeted by Jack (maitre d is his role I think?) for wearing hats, which made for an uncomfortable dining experience the whole night. It'd be one thing if there was a dress code that they enforced but plenty of folks in gym clothes and baseball caps that were left alone all night around us. When we asked him about it, he was unapologetic and said he was too busy to notice others with hats on while fumbling over his words. Super weird, unprofessional, uncomfortable - I can't stand the level of arrogance at this place. I think jack and a few folks require significant training

We did not have a great experience. We went before a show, so we ate at 6 pm. The service was extremely slow considering they had 50 people working. There were soooo many people working, they were just sitting around talking. We waited so long to order our food and then for our food to come out. They also put the three of us at a table that was clearly for two people even though 75% of the restaurant was empty. The cocktails were good and so were the mocktails. Although the mocktails were $18 and most of the glass was ice. It was like three sips. The trio of dips were the excellent and I highly suggest those. They don't have a ton of vegetarian options for mains. We split the crab pasta and the lamb pasta. Both were okay. My vegetarian friend got the fries as her side of a bunch of diff vegetables and the fries were good. We asked for the fries and the pasta to go, and when we left we discovered they only gave us the fries. The bottles of water were $12 which is just insane even for NYC. When we were leaving another table of eight were being sat at what clearly was not going to fit them and was a bunch of round tables of two pushed together and the guy said "I didn't wait for 30 minutes to be sat here". Which I totally agree with. Considering still the restaurant was half empty. The restaurant is beautiful, but I wouldn't return. There are a lot better restaurants that are Middle Eastern in NYC.

10/10. Incredible vibe, food and service. One of my favorite NYC meals in a long time. Each dish was unique, surprising and outstanding

Had a reservation for my friends birthday last week, upon arrival the table was not ready which is totally okay but we winded up waiting 30+ minutes after being told we'd be seated shortly. When we finally sat, the staff just seemed untrained and unprofessional. The food was not great plus all 3 of us had the runs all night after eating here which was so fun... great ambiance though, wish the food and service matched that.

two stars for the impeccable attention to design of this space. service was absolutely uncoordinated and clunky, nothing special other than the design of the space. a lot of tik tokkers and movie extras.